


what if this is the start of something wrong?

by lostin_space



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sibling Bonding, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22064407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: Michael quickly began to push his truck past the speed limit, rushing to wherever Max was freaking out at.
Relationships: Isobel Evans & Max Evans & Michael Guerin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	what if this is the start of something wrong?

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on march 29th, 2019, while the first season was still airing

“Something’s wrong.”

Michael looked over to Isobel, furrowing his eyebrows as she sat up straight. He opened his mouth to ask what she meant only to be overwhelmed with the same feeling. He sat up straight.

“Let’s go,” Michael said and Isobel immediately agreed, the two rushing their way out of the trailer and towards Michael’s truck.

Michael quickly began to push his truck past the speed limit, rushing to wherever Max was freaking out at. Isobel was holding on the dash with each sharp move Michael used the truck to make. A million thoughts were rushing through their heads. Was he hurt? Did he get shot? Was he at work?

The whole ride there, street lights flickered.  
  
“I swear to god if he causes another blackout,” Isobel grumbled as they pulled up to Max’s house. The whole building was dark which only amplified their worries.

  
“Max!” They both yelled as they ran towards the house. Michael let them in and they started their search for their brother.

  
Isobel located him first, their bond a little too tight to make it difficult. He was in his bedroom, curled up on the floor beside his bed. She recognized it as being very similar to a few times she’d found Michael in high school. Sometimes his anger would get the best of him along with his foster parents, leaving him drained and a broken mess on the floor. Max, on the other hand, had never seemed to actually break. Not like this.

“Max,” Isobel said cautiously right as Michael slid into the doorway. They shared a look before Isobel went to sit beside Max. When she placed her arm around him, she learned his whole body was shaking. She hugged him into her side.

“I’ll be real, man, I was expecting an anger fit,” Michael said softly, taking slow steps towards the pair. Isobel glared at him and he rolled his eyes.

“Max, did something happen?” Isobel asked softly. She felt his whole body tense harder beneath her arm and the lights in the house flickered a couple times. The bulb in the lamp beside his bed burst. Isobel jumped. Michael smiled, sitting in front of his siblings.

“That’s the Max I expected.” he teased. Max didn’t react. Isobel kicked Michael.

Isobel hugged Max a little tighter to her and combed her fingers through his hair, mimicking how she’d once comforted Michael and how they had both once comforted her. The whole situation made her uneasy. Max was usually the one who held his shit together. Even when he was being emotional and even when he caused a blackout, he was able to understand and compose himself. Now he was just a mess and she had no idea how to fix it. Hell, she had no idea what had gone so wrong. She felt useless.

Michael eventually scooted on the other side of Max, though not as close to him as Isobel was. Still, they had him sandwiched. And then time passed. Sometime within the next hour, once it became clear that Max had no intention to talk, Michael telepathically brought a blanket to drape over them.

Then they waited.

Their waiting prolonged well into the morning. Max fell asleep first, Isobel soon after, and Michael was up some time until the early hours of the morning until succumbing to sleep as well. He always fell asleep last. Every sleepover they had growing up, he couldn’t sleep until he knew they were okay and sound asleep.

Isobel woke up first. Sometime in his sleep, Max had shown his face and revealed tons of tear streaks still prevalent. Her bottom lip protruded into a pout and she wiped his face, but nothing smudged. She slowly removed herself from him and took a look at her brothers. They both were always stressed to hell, but when they were asleep it’s like they finally got a few moments of peace. She couldn’t help but smile at that.

She made her way to Max’s kitchen where she opened the curtains to bring in the light and started working on breakfast for them. Working on breakfast and working on how to find out what made Max into an angry, crying mess. Each egg she cracked gave her time to think of a new reason. Maybe he lost his job, maybe he found the fourth alien, maybe he lost his favorite gun.

By the time the smell of bacon serenaded the boys from their slumbered, she landed on the only real option being Liz.

“Mm, homemade breakfast. The only thing better than whiskey in the morning.” Michael said, standing beside the counter as he grabbed a plate. Max stumbled in after him, seeming almost hungover.

“Good morning,” Isobel said, handing him a plate. Max hazily took it from her.

“So, there’s really no point in beating around the bush, what happened?” Michael bluntly asked. Isobel shot him a glare and quickly stepped to Max’s side. He’d gone tense again, his whole face skewered up in what seemed to be physical pain. She grabbed his arm when the bulbs around the room burned blindingly bright before bursting. The one on the ceiling sent glass shards into their food, Michael jumping back and narrowly missing a head full of glass. “Here I am being a good brother and you’re trying to fucking kill me.”

“Sorry,” Max grumbled.

“Hey, enough of the electric tantrum, tell us or we’re locking you up.” Isobel threatened. Max shrugged her off. “Okay, seriously, what happened with Liz?”

Max snapped his head in her direction with furrowed eyebrows.

“Hit the nail on its head.” Michael hummed. Max scowled. “Okay, Mr. Broody.”

“You’re one to talk.” Max shot back.

“Okay, we’re not about to argue your way out of talking about this. You’ve blown enough lights, talk it out before you cause another blackout. We’ve got enough shit on our plate.” Isobel insisted, grabbing Max by the shoulders and forcing him to sit down. “Talk.”

“Fine.” Max agreed, taking a deep breath. Michael and Isobel watched intently. “Liz told me that after we get shit settled with the fourth alien, she’s leaving Roswell.” Every pair of eyebrows in the room furrowed.

“What? Why? I thought she was getting settled here. I thought you guys were‒”

“Yeah, so did I!” Max raised his voice and Michael took a step closer. Isobel rubbed his arm, trying her best to calm him down. She almost felt even more guilty than she did whenever she was actually the one who made Liz leave. This time, they were actually something and she wanted to get out after all the bullshit that she was at the forefront of. “She said she needs to get out. She had no plan to stay here anyway. She doesn’t want to stay.”

“What did you say?” Isobel asked, worry coursing through her veins.

“Nothing. I was getting angry and I just stormed out before I did something stupid. I didn’t wanna scare her.” Max sighed, leaning back in the chair. His body deflated, finally relaxing after getting the weight off his chest.

“What are you gonna do?” Michael asked, leaning against the counter once again. “You gonna, like, follow her?”

“I don’t fucking know. I wanted to back then, but we’re not kids anymore. I have a job, I have a life here. I have reasons to stay and, and after all this shit we’re dealing with right now, I don’t if I wanna be away from you guys. Not that I feel I have to, I just… We’re safer together, you know?”

“Yeah, we are. But…” Isobel said cautiously, looking over at Michael who seemed to be going over something in his own head. “But we get it if you need to follow her.”

“What if she doesn’t even want me to?” Max asked. Michael looked up at him, giving a tight smile.

“I can guarantee you‒she wants you to.”

“How would you know?” Isobel asked as the desperation grew in Max. She could understand if Max left on his own volition, but if Michael played a role in making their brother leave, she’d probably kill him. 

Michael shrugged, “Look if I was in her shoes… I’d want you to say something. Either ask her to stay or ask to go with her. Or ask her to try to work shit out long distance. Literally, just talk to her because assuming things instead of talking through things only leads to more problems.”

“When the hell did you get so wise?” Isobel scoffed. Michael smirked.

“Always have been.”

“So, you guys really think there’s a chance?” Max asked, earning nods from them both. With a heavy sigh, he nodded as well.

“Well, I guess I should call her to talk.”

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr: spaceskam


End file.
